The present invention relates to material handling means operable to feed hay to gear-like hay cubing dies. Such hay cubing dies are operable to compress hay into cubes by continuous rotation and interdigitation of teeth in a bottomless gear. Alternative means to be drawn from the prior art include cylindrical auger flights, blowers and the like. As described in my earlier disclosure, these material handling means are operable to direct material to the point at which the dies mesh.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide material handling means which operate as a portion unitary with hay cubing dies to feed material about the circumference of the dies. As shall be described hereinafter, such a material handling means could feed more than one pair of dies so that a maximal amount of the total circumferential die cubing surface could be in the meshing engagement necessary to make cubes. That is, a material handling means which could feed hay material about the circumference of the die could be used, with the proper arrangement of additional dies, to maximize the amount of surface actually involved in hay cubing. Such an arrangement could be further adapted to a highly compact and mechanically efficient hay cubing apparatus.
These and other objects shall become apparent from the description following, it being understood that modifications may be made without affecting the teachings of the invention here set out.